QB — Baker Mayfield 7.97
Scout- Jason Feiner
College: Oklahoma
Height: 6'1
Weight: 214
40-Time: 4.81
Hand: 10 1/8”
Wonderlic: 25
Athleticism
Q.A.B. 8.00 Mayfield is a very good athlete, and he utilizes his agility and quickness on each play. He is very shifty, and can avoid defenders to make plays in and out of the pocket. His balances helps to keep his feet vs. the rush, and his foot quick’s allow him to move out of the pocket and scramble for a first down when necessary.
Flexibility 9.00 Mayfield is very flexible, and keeps his knees bent on each play. His knees are always bent while avoiding the rush, throwing fastballs into tight windows, or the deep ball.
C.O.D. 8.50 He is very elusive and can avoid defenders. He possesses very good change of direction; he has displayed the ability to plant his foot and avoid defenders in the pocket or while running downfield.
Explosiveness/Speed 6.50 He is a very quick and mobile player capable of breaking the pocket using his legs. He has the ability to scramble and gain long yardage while avoiding defenders in the open field.
Pocket Mobility/Avoid Pressure 8.50 Mayfield keeps his feet moving throughout each play. He has great pocket presence, and can manipulate the pocket in order to find a throwing lane. He is very elusive and can find open spots in the pocket, and sense defenders closing in. He has the ability to break out of the pocket before it closes, and uses his feet exceptionally well to avoid the rush. It is very hard to hit Mayfield behind the line of scrimmage, as he has great vision and pocket awareness
Passing Skills
Quick Release/Mechanics 8.00 He has a quick release, and delivers the ball on target on each play. He steps into each throw, and opens his body toward each throw. He gets his feet and shoulder square to make each receiver. When scrambling he can sense the defenders around him, and has the talent to get his feet set to make throws across the field.
Delivery 8.00 He has a very nice delivery, and can make each pass on the field. He steps into each of his throws, and can fit the ball into tight windows, or get the ball over the defense. He is very good on the run, and can fit the ball anywhere on short and intermediate routes when on the move. While scrambling he possesses the ability to get square and throw the ball deep. He works through his progressions very well, and can find open receivers on any play. He doesn’t throw the ball in tight coverage, or give defenders much opportunity to play the ball in the air.
Short Accuracy 8.50 He has very good short accuracy. He can fit the ball into tight windows, and throws the ball with good zip and velocity. He can find open receivers easily and doesn’t force many throws into coverage.
Intermediate Accuracy 8.00 Mayfield works through each of his progressions with very good poise. He can find open receivers on intermediate routes, and has the ability to throw players open. Mayfield throws the ball very well, and can fit the ball into tight windows with good zip whenever he wants too.
Deep Accuracy 8.00 Mayfield can make any throw deep downfield. he steps into each throw and can fire the ball down the field; capable of throwing the receiver open, or with nice touch and dropping the ball in the receivers basket. If it looks like the receiver is covered, he most likely isn’t when Mayfield is throwing the ball.
Big Play Ability 8.00 Mayfield can create big plays on any given down. He is always a threat with the ball, and can run or throw the ball. He avoids the rush with ease, and often creates second chance opportunities buying his receivers more time to create separation.
Avoid Errors/Mistakes 8.50 Mayfield rarely makes mistakes, and doesn’t throw the ball into coverage very often. he works through each of his progressions, and can buy extra time with his legs. He doesn’t turn the ball over, and is very cautious with the ball in his hand.
Arm Strength 8.50 Mayfield’s has tremendous arm strength. He doesn’t get enough credit, and his arm is very underappreciated. He steps into each throw, and can fire the ball into coverage or deep downfield. He often shows off his arm and gets the ball over the defenders head, throwing the receiver open. He displays good zip and velocity on each throw.
Footwork 6.00 An area where Mayfield needs to work on is his feet. He is always moving his feet and sliding up in the pocket, but he often displays a form of “happy feet.” He moves to much and chops his feet while scanning the field and working through his progressions. He will need to calm his footwork, and bounce on the balls of his feet while working through progressions and standing strong in the pocket.
Competitiveness
Toughness 8.00 Mayfield is extremely tough, often standing in the pocket and throwing strikes downfield. He gets up quickly after being sacked or hit during a scramble. He has remained durable throughout his career. He needs to slide when running more frequently to escape big hits and avoid injury at the next level.
Intangibles/Leadership 5.00 Mayfield is shorter than the preferred height for quarterbacks, and he will need to gain weight to remain healthy at the next level. He is listed at 6'1" but some scouts fear he is closer to 6'. Mayfield’s attitude is the worst part about his entire game. He is not a leader on the field, and he has multiple off field issues that will need to be addressed. During Oklahoma’s blowout game against Kansas, he made obscene gestures toward their sideline, and yelled out obscenities. He was benched, and stripped of his captain status following this incident. NFL teams will each need to speak with him about his off field mishaps before considering if he is a fit to lead their team. He is an ultra competitive athlete that motivates his teammates each snap.
Poise in Pocket 7.00 Mayfield has the talent and ability to escape pressure with relative ease. He has great pocket presence, and can make throws while on the move. He has shown the ability to stand strong in the pocket and throw strikes into tight windows, and manipulate the pocket to find open creases and throwing lanes. He often can be caught scrambling to early and moving to much; however, he always finds open receivers downfield or running room.
Consistency/Motor 8.00 Mayfield is very consistent and tries to make big plays occur on each play. He plays until the whistle is blown, and can often be caught fighting for extra yardage when he should have slid and given himself up. He has great vision and can consistently find open receivers or running lanes to gain first downs and touchdowns.
Production 9.00 Mayfield has had an incredibly productive collegiate career that should translate to the next level. He has finished as a finalist in the Heisman race each of the past three years finally taking home the award in 2017, while leading Oklahoma to an 11–1 record and an appearance in the NCAA playoffs as the number two ranked team in the country.
Improvisational Ability 8.50 Mayfield thrives in creating 2nd chance opportunities, and has capability running for big gains.
Intelligence
Instincts 7.50 Mayfield is very instinctive and can feel the pressure. He can sense when the pocket is collapsing, and has great vision, often avoiding defender. He needs to stay in the pocket longer, as he can be found to leave the pocket early.
Blitz/Coverage Recognition 9.50 Mayfield is deadly against the blitz. He can read blitzes and can get rid of the ball in a hurry. He can analyze the coverage and find open receivers in a flash. Mayfield is extremely efficient when under pressure or blitzed. He can read defenses effectively and quickly, so he knows where to go with the ball at the line of scrimmage. Mayfield also has the ability to avoid the rush, and escape the pocket when under pressure. His statistics actually improve when rushed by five or more players.
Decision Making 8.50 Mayfield often knows where to go with the ball, works through his progressions, and finds open receivers regularly. He doesn’t make to many mistakes and protects the ball well. He can occasionally be found to forsake the pass, and take the ball with his legs, but he usually keeps his eyes downfield, and utilizes a throw first mentality.
Learn/Retain 7.50 Mayfield has excelled in Oklahoma’s offensive scheme. He will need to adapt to a pro-style offense.
Strengths
Mayfield is a very good athlete capable of avoiding defenders, sliding up in the pocket, and moving outside the pocket. He keeps his knees bent and steps into each throw. Mayfield is very elusive, and can plant his foot to change directions at will. He has great pocket presence, and has an ability to manipulate the pocket to find creases or throwing lanes. He has great vision and can sense, defenders closing in. Mayfield is extremely accurate when he steps into his throws. He has shown the ability to throw on the run with impeccable timing and accuracy, and using his vision when he has time, Mayfield will often reset his feet after scrambling. He has a very nice delivery, and can fit the ball into tight windows or place the ball over defenders heads. He has great timing, and can throw with nice zip and velocity. Mayfield’s arm strength is very underrated, as he can place the ball with tremendous amount of touch deep downfield or fire the ball into tight windows on short and intermediate routes. He has the ability to throw the defender open, and rarely makes mistakes. He doesn’t turn it over. He is always moving his feet, sliding up in the pocket and bouncing on the balls of his feet. He has the talent to escape pressure with relative ease. He has great pocket presence; working through each of his progressions, and can often buy 2nd chance opportunities. He is extremely efficient against the blitz, and can release the ball in a hurry to avoid defenders.
Weaknesses
Mayfield’s biggest area of concern may be his off the field issues, as well as his leadership ability when on the field. He has been disruptive to his teammates and coaches, as well as being disrespectful and unprofessional during games. His off the field issues will need to be addressed before the draft, and teams will have to analyze his personality and leadership traits to see if he is fit to lead their team. Mayfield was recently stripped of his captain status at Oklahoma. Another area of concern is his height. Mayfield is listed at 6’1”, but some scouts and teams believe he is closer to 6’ flat. This is an area of concern because quarterbacks need to be able to move, throw, and see over their offensive lines. Teams like when quarterbacks are 6’2” and over; however, a couple shorter quarterbacks have been able to lead to teams at a capable level (future hall of famer Drew Brees and MVP candidate Russell Wilson to name a few). Mayfield also needs to be more patient when in the pocket, he tends to move to much, and begin scrambling to early on some plays. He needs to become more comfortable in the pocket, and standing strong when under pressure. He may need time to adapt to a pro-style offense, and improve his ability to play under center
Big Picture
Mayfield utilizes his excellent athleticism and quick feet to manipulate the pocket in order to find throwing lanes and creases; he can avoid the rush with ease, and has a great pocket presence. He has excellent accuracy, able to hit any target anywhere on the field when he steps into his throws. He throws with great zip and velocity, and has the ability to pas with excellent touch to drop the ball into his receiver’s breadbasket. Mayfield works exceptionally well when under pressure and can read the defenses and blitz packages before the snap. He can release the ball in a hurry when under pressure, and has great accuracy when on the run. Mayfield works through each of his progressions often finding open receivers, as he doesn’t put the ball in locations where defenders can contest the catch. He protects the ball very well, and does not make to many big errors. Although he doesn’t have the arm strength that some of the other draft prospects possess, his arm is vastly underrated. He will need to earn to slide when scrambling, in order to prevent injury. Mayfield is below the desired height NFL personnel and coaches covet when looking for franchise quarterbacks, with some scouts fearing he may be closer to 6 feet rather than the listed 6’1”. He is not a leader on or off the field and will need meet with each team before they are comfortable to draft a player who has been troubled in college. He will need to become a better leader and act more professionally in order to lead an NFL franchise to a winning season and potentially more. He will need to adapt to a pro-style offense, but I don’t believe there is any reason why he wouldn’t be up to the challenge. Mayfield has the potential to be a great NFL quarterbacks if he is presented with the right coaching and environment. Not every team will be a fit for Mayfield; however, he is an extremely athletic player who has the potential to excel at the next level.
